For most of us living in Denver, Colorado, winter offers a lot of great outdoor activities: skiing, snowboarding, mountain town shopping, or relaxing by the fire. Unfortunately, the cold winds, low temperatures, and overheating your home can cause more damage than normal, if you’re not prepared.  Each of these factors can dehydrate, dry out, and crack the surface of your face and body. I have put together a few tips to keep your skin healthy and moisturized during the long, winter months.

• The answer to keeping your skin healthy in colder temperatures is to maintain hydration. Colder air allows less moisture to our skin and this can cause it to dry and chap easily. Moisturizing twice as much as usual, if not more because of Colorado’s higher altitude, will make up for the lack of hydration. One secret I discovered was the humidifier! If you do not own one please add it to your things-to-buy list. This will help to replace the moisture deficiency in your home.

• Although a hot and steamy shower can be tempting on those extra cold days, don’t give in too often. Hot water will quickly dehydrate your skin because the water evaporates so fast. Try a lukewarm shower instead, and make sure your apply moisturizer within five minutes of drying off to keep the moisture locked in. Skin Essentials @ bodevolve offers great products from Anubis that are great for thicker moisture.

• Instead of using soap for your face or body, try a gentle face and body wash. Soap can dry out your skin, and with the Denver weather conditions we cannot afford to add to the problem.  Certain ingredients are more hydrating than others. Try products that contain aloe and glycerin for extra moisture. It would not be a bad idea to have a bottle of Avene Thermal Water handy to spritz on during the extremely dry times, before applying a moisturizer to lock in the moisture allowing for more supple skin.

Look for more tips to come soon!

Written by: Andrea Thompson